Introduction
The Miniature Saanen is in the early stages of development in Australia and is being bred as a mid-sized dairy goat with ancestry comprising the standard-sized Saanen in combination with the Australian Miniature Goat, Australian Bush Goat or Nigerian Dwarf.
Breed standard
General description: Dairy type with triple dairy wedge, feminine does, masculine bucks, well blended, no tendency to coarseness, well proportioned.
Head: Polled or neatly disbudded. Eyes large, bright and set well apart. No coarseness, feminine, medium length. Facial line - straight or slightly raised bridge. Medium-sized pricked ears carried well above horizontal. Muzzle well developed.
Head faults: Low set ears.
Head disqualifications: Wry face, overshot jaw (parrot mouth), undershot jaw (monkey mouth). Pendulous ears. Elf ears.
Neck: Blending smoothly into the shoulders with no coarseness, with or without tassels. Does - long and feminine. Bucks - masculine and strong.
Neck faults: Short and thick (beefy), ewe necked.
Backline: Backline strong, straight and horizontal.
Back faults: Roach or sway back, dip behind the withers.
Forequarters: Fine withers, blending firmly into shoulders, wide and deep in bucks, with medium width and depth in does.
Body: Triple dairy wedge with good spring of rib (which are backward sloping with clean flat bone) and proportional length to height.
Body faults: Shallow body, narrow chest.
Rump: Gradual fall (gentle downward slope) from hips to tail, good width between hips flaring out to thurls. Rump level across thurls.
Rump faults: Steep rump, flat rump (no gradual fall from hips to tail), width decreasing from hips to thurls.
Legs: Straight, strong, parallel, with flat bone, with pasterns short and strong (nearly upright/vertical).
Leg faults: Toe in or out, cow or bow hocked, dropped, weak or long pasterns, postiness.
Hooves: Sound and well shaped with good heel depth.
Hoof faults: Splayed. Claws different sizes.
Udder: Rear - broad and high attachment. Fore - well forward (at least as far forward as the front of the hip bones). Expansion indentation is not a pocket. Sides - attached to the inner thighs. Strong medial ligament. Skin - soft textured.
Udder faults: Fleshy, pendulous, unduly divided, pocket, lack of capacity.
Udder skin colour: Tan.
Udder skin colour fault: Pink.
Udder skin colour disqualification: Grey, dark brown to black.
Teat faults: Different-sized teats, bulbous, extremely small/thick, sideways pointing.
Teat disqualification: Double teats, supernumery teats, multiple orifices, blind teats, spurs/sprigs.
Rudimentary teats: Two good-sized teats set slightly to the fore and side of the scrotum. Milking bucks will have doe-sized teats.
Rudimentary teat disqualifications: Double teats, supernumery teats, blind teats, spurs /sprigs.
Testicles: Two testicles in a well-attached scrotum which is relatively even (in summer may have the appearance of being pendulous).
Testicle faults: Divided, unduly pendulous.
Testicle disqualifications: Undescended testicle(s) - cryptorchid, monorchid.
Size (Height at withers): Does 60-70cm (64cm ideal) , Bucks 65-75 cm (70cm ideal).
Colour: Even white/cream.
Colour faults: Biscuit colour.
Colour disqualifications: Dark biscuit. Patchiness/uneven colour. Tan to black spot on body larger than a 20 cent piece.
Head: Polled or neatly disbudded. Eyes large, bright and set well apart. No coarseness, feminine, medium length. Facial line - straight or slightly raised bridge. Medium-sized pricked ears carried well above horizontal. Muzzle well developed.
Head faults: Low set ears.
Head disqualifications: Wry face, overshot jaw (parrot mouth), undershot jaw (monkey mouth). Pendulous ears. Elf ears.
Neck: Blending smoothly into the shoulders with no coarseness, with or without tassels. Does - long and feminine. Bucks - masculine and strong.
Neck faults: Short and thick (beefy), ewe necked.
Backline: Backline strong, straight and horizontal.
Back faults: Roach or sway back, dip behind the withers.
Forequarters: Fine withers, blending firmly into shoulders, wide and deep in bucks, with medium width and depth in does.
Body: Triple dairy wedge with good spring of rib (which are backward sloping with clean flat bone) and proportional length to height.
Body faults: Shallow body, narrow chest.
Rump: Gradual fall (gentle downward slope) from hips to tail, good width between hips flaring out to thurls. Rump level across thurls.
Rump faults: Steep rump, flat rump (no gradual fall from hips to tail), width decreasing from hips to thurls.
Legs: Straight, strong, parallel, with flat bone, with pasterns short and strong (nearly upright/vertical).
Leg faults: Toe in or out, cow or bow hocked, dropped, weak or long pasterns, postiness.
Hooves: Sound and well shaped with good heel depth.
Hoof faults: Splayed. Claws different sizes.
Udder: Rear - broad and high attachment. Fore - well forward (at least as far forward as the front of the hip bones). Expansion indentation is not a pocket. Sides - attached to the inner thighs. Strong medial ligament. Skin - soft textured.
Udder faults: Fleshy, pendulous, unduly divided, pocket, lack of capacity.
Udder skin colour: Tan.
Udder skin colour fault: Pink.
Udder skin colour disqualification: Grey, dark brown to black.
Teat faults: Different-sized teats, bulbous, extremely small/thick, sideways pointing.
Teat disqualification: Double teats, supernumery teats, multiple orifices, blind teats, spurs/sprigs.
Rudimentary teats: Two good-sized teats set slightly to the fore and side of the scrotum. Milking bucks will have doe-sized teats.
Rudimentary teat disqualifications: Double teats, supernumery teats, blind teats, spurs /sprigs.
Testicles: Two testicles in a well-attached scrotum which is relatively even (in summer may have the appearance of being pendulous).
Testicle faults: Divided, unduly pendulous.
Testicle disqualifications: Undescended testicle(s) - cryptorchid, monorchid.
Size (Height at withers): Does 60-70cm (64cm ideal) , Bucks 65-75 cm (70cm ideal).
Colour: Even white/cream.
Colour faults: Biscuit colour.
Colour disqualifications: Dark biscuit. Patchiness/uneven colour. Tan to black spot on body larger than a 20 cent piece.
Show height limits
- Under 6 months
Does: 54cm. Bucks: 55cm - 6 to 12 months
Does: 60cm. Bucks: 62cm - 12 to 24 months
Does: 66cm. Bucks: 68cm - 24 to 36 months
Does: 68cm. Bucks: 72cm - 3 to 4 years
Does: 69cm. Bucks: 74cm - Over 4 years
Does: 70cm. Bucks: 75cm.
Australian All Breeds of Miniature Goat and Sheep Society Inc.